


Before the world

by YouKnowMeAsJ



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-05 18:17:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5385659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouKnowMeAsJ/pseuds/YouKnowMeAsJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coming after  her.</p><p>(That's right! It's the requisite post 3.8 fic that every Phrack ficker needs to fic out of their system).</p><p>EDIT: NOW, WITH SMUT! (Which is limited strictly to chapter 2, in case you need to skip it... or skip TO it. Hey, I don't judge).</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On the brink

They reached Darwin just as the sun was setting; they almost hadn’t made it.

“Father please see if you can telephone for a car to take us to the hotel. I’ll secure the airplane and come right out”. The plane was fine; she just needed an excuse to be alone with her thoughts for a few minutes. They had only been traveling for a week and a half, but it had been rough. She hadn’t expected the trip to be this difficult; they had already been forced to stop twice for repairs, staying two or three days in places where she had only planned to refuel. The next part was the trickiest –the first flight over water- and she wanted the plane to be in perfect condition, so they would have to stay in Darwin for the better part of a week.

Phryne would never have admitted it to anyone, but she was having very serious second thoughts about the task she’d taken on. It wasn’t just that the Baron’s complaining was never-ending and all-encompassing (today had been particularly bad, especially when it became clear that she might have to land her plane in the dark, a maneuver that even she found daunting). The work of flying was more than she had calculated. She considered trading in her small plane for a larger one, better suited for a trip like the one she was attempting, but she wasn’t sure she could handle a larger airplane by herself (and the middle of the Indian Ocean didn’t seem like the best place to experiment). She couldn’t just go back, though (what about her poor mother?), and she certainly wouldn’t admit defeat to her father (who at every possible opportunity took the chance to remind her that he thought she couldn’t do it).

It would be different if Jack were with her. Since the second she took off and watched as he got smaller and smaller, she regretted leaving him behind. She was still a perfectly independent woman, of course, but everything was just so much _easier_ when her Inspector was around, with his calming, steady presence, and his strict (albeit at times annoying) adherence to the rules. _Her_ Inspector. She liked the sound of that. She smiled and touched her little swallow pin, as she thought about his kiss on the airfield. She could still feel the warmth of his big hand wrapped around her arm and pulling her to him. His lips were so soft, and his touch so careful, yet he conveyed so much passion… it was hard to believe she was only kissing one man. She would have given anything not to have to leave. The simple truth was, for the first time in her life, she didn’t want to have an adventure. Or rather, she didn’t want _this_ adventure. She didn’t want any adventure that didn’t involve Jack.

Flying across Australia with her father had left Phryne feeling very lonely, and missing her partner terribly. She always preached about her freedom, but the fact was that it had been over a year since she had been truly alone. She felt _less_ free now that she was in the air, a thousand miles from the man she had come to consider her home. Jack was exactly what she hadn’t known she needed her entire adult life: a warm place to rest in order to take flight, and a safe place to fall, should she ever find herself in that position. Jack didn’t restrain or limit her, on the contrary, he made her stronger, so she could reach higher. She would never belong _to_ him, but she already belonged _with_ him; it was terrifying. Her heart broke when she realized she was a little over a week into a journey that would probably take her away from him for months. She would have to get all the way to England and back by herself (her father didn’t count. He was practically a child), and for a minute, the task seemed simply impossible.

Why hadn’t she been more open with him, what was she so afraid of? She had trouble even thinking the words out loud in her head, but she certainly could have shown him how she felt (more clearly than merely demanding that he follow her halfway across the world). She should have taken another minute before leaving, and kissed him again. He was such an excellent kisser! She should have told him that. And she shouldn’t have suggested that he had anything to worry about. He truly didn’t. There had been no competition for quite some time now; there might possibly never be any competition ever again. He knew she was only joking… didn’t he? Or did she leave him standing alone in the middle of an empty airfield, thinking she was merrily heading off into a sunset of a thousand other men? Phryne sighed heavily. Perhaps she could telephone him from her hotel, and hear his beautiful voice. Her stops so far had been improvised, staying at very small inns and even spending one night camping under the plane. She hadn’t been able to communicate with Jack. But she would have better luck in a big city.

Taking her overnight bag out of the plane, she went to find her father, realizing it was now dark, and more than a few minutes had passed since she sent him out to call for a cab. “Father? Father where are you?”

“Your father is in a taxi on his way to the hotel, Miss Fisher” said a deep, rumbling voice from behind her.

It couldn’t be. “Jack?”

But it was. Leaning very casually against a strange car, with his familiar grey overcoat and brown fedora, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, stood Jack. “Evening, Miss Fisher. Bit late to be flying around, don’t you think?”

Phryne was, most uncharacteristically, struck completely dumb. It was as if he had materialized out of her thoughts. It took her a full minute to react (during which time she stood with her mouth hanging open, a look Jack found both flattering to his ability to surprise her, and adorable). Just as he was getting anxious about the wisdom of his decision to actually come after her, she found her bearings, however, dropped her bag, and hurtled towards her Inspector at break-neck speed, throwing herself very literally into his arms.

“Jack!” Over and over again, it was the only word out of her mouth, marked with an exclamation point every time, as she clung to his neck and breathed him in, grabbing on to him with such force that she knocked off his hat.

Jack chuckled and held her tight. “Missing me already, were you Miss Fisher?” he whispered in her ear.

“You have no idea” She pulled back a little so she could see his face; he could see her eyes were shining with tears. He kissed her soundly, before they could fall. She tasted even better than he remembered, and he allowed them both the pleasure of running his tongue everywhere he could reach. She responded in kind, as she twined her arms around his neck and pulled on his hair for leverage, practically climbing him like a tree. By the time they stopped to breathe, Jack was leaning further back on the car, with Phryne clinging on top of him, so there was absolutely no space between them.

“What are you doing here?”

“You asked me to come after you. I came immediately, before the –how did you put it?- whole world could get in the way”

She felt a pang of remorse at that, and kissed him hard to make up for it. “But how did you get here so fast?”

“I am a man of many mysteries, Miss Fisher. And many invaluable acquaintances as well. Some of them fly airplanes”

“What have you done with Father?”

“I had a cab waiting, with instructions to take him to his hotel”

“But how did you know where I made arrangements? How did you know I’d get here today? I’m a week late!”

“I have ways, Miss Fisher. It’s _almost_ as if I too were a detective”, he nipped at her ear, and she squealed, “I already spoke to the concierge. He is a very kind old gentleman –reminds me of Mr. Butler, actually-, and has agreed to play babysitter for the evening. The Baron will be plied with food and drink, and then sent straight to bed. If he tries to leave the hotel, they have my instructions to tackle him to the ground” Phryne grinned at the image.

“And what about me? Where am I to spend my evening?” He tightened his arms around her and she leaned into him, burying her nose in his neck again. “Never mind. I’ll just stay right here”

“I told Mr. Perry –the concierge- to inform the Baron that you would be getting in very late, as I had plans to take you out on the town…”

“Oh Jack, that sounds lovely! But I’m hardly dressed…” He interrupted her interruption with a long, slow kiss. She sighed contentedly and forgot what she had been saying.

“You didn’t let me finish, Phryne”, he continued, while running his hands up and down her back “While your father believes you to be out on the town, I have actually arranged for you to sneak into the hotel through a back entrance, and directly to your suite, where a hot bath will be waiting, scented with all manner of fascinating fragrances, and your dinner will be served. I thought you might be tired of the Baron’s company –we spoke for a few minutes, by the way, and he doesn’t seem to be very happy with the travel arrangements so far. You really must tell me later, Phryne- and I figured…” She interrupted again, this time by kissing his mouth shut.

“Too many words, Jack” she whispered.

He found another use for his lips, for a long while after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The extent of my research for this piece was googling a map of Australia and choosing the city closest to the next non-Australian island (because I figured Phryne’s ridiculously tiny airplane couldn’t make it all the way across the ocean in one trip, so she would have to island-hop. I did not research travel times, or the make or model of her plane. “Ridiculously tiny” is not official aeronautic jargon, by the way). Also, I looked up the first long-distance telephone call (1875. In the US, not in Australia, but hey, this takes place roughly 55 years later. I figure they’d gotten around to it by then. I mean it’s not like I gave Phryne an iPhone or anything. Plus, it’s, like, half a line). 
> 
> Please forgive me for taking advantage of your kindness in suspending your disbelief, gentle reader!


	2. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porntastic, naked, smut (but with feels, because apparently I just don't know how to do it any other way).

About an hour later, Phryne and Jack pulled up to the back of a very elegant hotel. They were expected –a young man in a uniform with a lot of gold buttons took Jack’s keys and disappeared with the strange car. Jack took Phryne’s small bag, and they made their way inside. Another young man, with as many gold buttons as the first, greeted them and led the way to the elevator, and then to Phryne’s suite, on the top floor. Even though she had made the reservations herself, sneaking around with Jack added a fantastic element of excitement for Phryne. Knowing his girl (he chuckled mentally when he caught himself calling her that in his thoughts), Jack made the most of the experience, pushing her suddenly against the wall of one of the hotel corridors, looking both ways, and covering her body with his, while tilting his hat to cover both their faces. He winked and pecked quickly at her lips before dramatically looking over his hat to ensure that the coast was clear. Phryne grinned as she took Jack’s hand and let him lead her, running down the hallway, to her door, where the young man and all his gold buttons were waiting, very deliberately staring at the doorknob. Jack took Phryne’s bag from him, and he disappeared silently. Phryne bounced around the suite, poking into everything.

“Oh Jack, you were right! There _is_ a bath here. And it smells _wonderful!_ ” she called, from somewhere in the other room.

“Well, I’ll just leave you to it, then…” Truth be told, Jack had had high hopes that he wouldn’t be going back to the little inn where he was staying, tonight. Despite Phryne’s enthusiasm upon seeing him, he was still very much a gentleman however, and he realized now he could never suggest any of the things he had been dreaming about for the past week (or indeed the past year…), even though he suspected it wouldn’t shock her.

“Don’t you dare, Jack Robinson!” There came the sound of Phryne galloping out of the bathroom and through the bedroom to the entryway where Jack still stood. She had been in the process of taking off her flight suit: the top half floated behind her as she ran, revealing naked arms and a lacy black satin under-treat of some kind. “You can’t leave! Not after coming all this way! I won’t have it!” She pouted, somewhere between indignant and suggestive, and walked up to put her arms around his waist. Jack swallowed hard.

“Is that regulation aviatrix wear, Miss Fisher?” His voice had gone husky, the way she loved it most.

“Well, the suit is. But a lady can’t give up all her secrets just because she’s in the air”

“Indeed not, Miss Fisher”. He bent his head and kissed her, as his hands skimmed lightly over her bare shoulders. She hummed with delight.

“Stay for dinner, Jack” she whispered, nuzzling his nose with hers. He couldn’t refuse (not that he wanted to), and nodded. “And since you’re here, you wouldn’t mind helping me in the bath, would you?” She winked over her shoulder as she took his hand and her own bag, and led the way. He followed helplessly, grinning sheepishly and trying not to blush too furiously.

“Ah… perhaps I’d better… while you…” Somehow, despite all his imaginings, he wasn’t ready to take off her clothes for her. She laughed at his discomfort, and quickly pecked him on the cheek.

“Why don’t you remove your jacket, and bring in the footstool from the bedroom? You can sit beside me and tell me about every criminal you’ve caught in my absence, while I soak my poor muscles”. A reasonable enough idea, he thought. Besides, he really didn’t want to leave. By the time he came back (in nothing but shirtsleeves, much to Phryne’s delight) she was up to her chin in bubbles, with her eyes closed. He sat by her head, leaning one arm on the side of the tub, and ran the fingers of his other hand softly through her thick black hair, massaging her scalp. She sighed and rolled her head under his hand. He got up and found some shampoo on a nearby shelf, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to gently wash her hair. “Mmm… I always suspected your hands were magical, Jack”.

He smiled fondly and tried to find the right words. “Has the trip been very difficult so far, Phryne?” She hadn’t even been gone two weeks, but she looked exhausted. He hoped his tone didn’t betray the abject terror he felt whenever he pictured her in the air, flying all the way across the world in that ridiculously tiny airplane.

“It’s been harder than I had predicted. I think something may be wrong with the plane –oh, don’t worry, I’m having it thoroughly checked before leaving Australia- and Father has been positively impossible. He keeps screaming that we’re both going to die, at the lightest gust of wind.” She paused, and continued more quietly. “I wouldn’t turn back, of course –Mother would be devastated, and I’d never hear the end of it from Father- but this journey is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Besides”, she decided to lighten the mood, “I’m not sure I’ll have handsome policemen to bathe me at every pit stop. Maybe in the larger cities, but in the smaller towns I’ll have to make do with whomever…” He stopped her by pinching her shoulder playfully, and found it to be hard as a rock. He silently knelt on his stool, found her shoulders under the water, and started kneading them gently. Her laughter stopped immediately.

“Oooooh _Jaaack_!” The indecent sounds she was making were having a very direct effect on his trouser region.

“Shhh… just relax, Phryne”. He kept massaging her shoulders, neck, and upper back, eventually moving on to her arms, all the way down to her fingers, to which he paid individual attention. He lowered his head right next to hers, almost touching the water, and she could feel his steady breathing on her cheek. When he was done with her arms, he leaned over the tub and spanned her waist with his big hands, working on the muscles of her lower back with his long fingers. Even though she was completely naked (and the bubbles had almost completely dissipated), there was nothing sexual about Jack’s hands on her body. It was supremely intimate, yet completely respectful. Jack touched her with such love and tenderness, despite his obvious strength, that it took her breath away. She turned her head and kissed him on the cheek.

“Why did you come here, Jack?” she asked softly. He stopped his work and kissed the top of her head, speaking against her hair.

“You asked me to come after you, and this is as far as I can come. I _would_ have gone to the ends of the Earth for you, Phryne, but it looks like the end of Australia will have to do” He shifted to her side, so he could look at her. “I looked into traveling to England, but there just isn’t any way I can manage it. I’m sorry, Phryne. I really tried. So I thought maybe I could come part of the way, and give you a proper goodbye, so you won’t forget me” He was aiming at light banter with that last bit, but his voice caught in his throat, and ruined the effect. He tried to get back on track “At first I was afraid I’d missed you, but then I realized you were just fashionably late, as always” Phryne ignored his smirk and sat up in the water, taking his face in both her hands.

“Jack” she whispered “You really have no idea, do you?” She kissed him in a way she hoped would tell him everything he needed to know. She wasn’t ready for the words yet, but she couldn’t help the feelings. “Do you understand how much I’ve missed you in this short time? Do you understand how much I need you? _Just_ you, Jack? It’s the scariest feeling I’ve ever had.”

Something snapped inside Jack with her words. He loved her so much, he couldn’t breathe properly. She was travelling all alone, with nobody to help her if she got into any trouble (her father didn’t count. He was practically a child). Anything could happen. And then of course, there was the possibility that she would make it safely to England, and fall straight into the arms of the King himself. He couldn’t do anything about that, but he could seize the moment while she was still here.

He stood beside the tub, and extended his arms to her. She raised herself with his help, water streaming from her body. He pressed himself to her tightly, and kissed her with everything he had, kissed her like it was his last chance, like she was the only woman in the world, like he had been waiting his whole life to kiss her, and that life depended on her kiss. Her knees weakened, but he held her firmly in his arms; he didn’t even notice his shirt was getting soaked. The only thing that mattered in the world was kissing Phryne. “I think it’s time for bed, Jack” she said softly, when they finally had to stop to breathe, her fingers playing along his jaw, her eyes filled with lust.

“I think you’re right, Phryne” He stepped away from her long enough to grab one of the hotel’s enormous white towels. He wrapped her in it, creating a cocoon, so her arms were pinned to her sides. He paused for a moment, unsure of how to ask.

“What’s wrong, Jack?”

“Do you need to… uhm… your… I don’t mean to presume that you _will_ need it, of course…” he stammered.

Her laugh tinkled, filling the room. “Family planning’s taken care of, Hugh” she teased, nuzzling his cheek with her nose.

He scowled in mock anger and picked her up by wrapping both arms around her waist, her head fitting exactly into the crook of his neck, a position she exploited by running butterfly kisses to and from his jaw. He carried her into the bedroom, where he very gently deposited her in the middle of the bed. He left her wrapped up the way she was and left the room, returning with a second towel. He sat on the bed beside her, and proceeded to dry her off, unwrapping her slowly, like a precious gift, only uncovering her as needed, to make sure she didn’t feel cold. He rubbed her very gently with his towel, following immediately with his lips. In this way he kissed every single inch of her, from the top of her head to her very last toe, and by the time he was done, her skin tingled all over and she shuddered uncontrollably in his arms.

“Are you cold?” he asked, with real concern. She smiled.

“No, Jack. Just the opposite”

He ran his hands over her naked body. “Phryne, I… I’m not sure what to do. Please don’t laugh” he added quickly, though she wasn’t going to. “I’ve imagined this a million times, but I’m not sure where to start. I’m just so scared I’ll disap…”

She saved him the trouble of explaining further by pushing him onto his back and rising to straddle him, placing her forearms on either side of his head, and kissing him dizzy.

“You are never to use that word with me, ever again. Understood?” Her tone was deathly serious, but her eyes shone with kindness and understanding. He nodded, temporarily unable to form words. She smiled wickedly. “You’re overdressed, Jack” She ripped open his damp shirt, only to find he wore an undershirt as well. He smiled at her growl of frustration, and sat up, holding her in his lap. With her help (or rather, despite her pawing at his clothes) he removed his shirt and singlet and finally – _finally_ \- held her skin to skin. She hung on to his back for a second, merely enjoying the feeling of his naked chest on hers, after such a long time of enduring his three-piece suits. His heavy breathing against her shoulder broke the spell. She ground down directly on his cock –which was already standing at attention- and he groaned her name loudly.

“What do you want, Jack?” she whispered hotly, lovingly, lustfully in his ear “I want to give you everything you want”

He looked into her eyes with such yearning honesty that she would have fallen out of bed had he not held her so securely. “I want to feel you shake beneath me” He kissed her, while rolling her gently onto her back until he hovered over her. “I want to make you scream my name” He kissed a trail from her neck to her ear, and rolled his hips over hers so his cock rubbed all too briefly against her. “I want to be the reason you’re out of breath, Phryne”.

He was off to a damn good start: she was panting like she couldn’t get enough air in her lungs. Jack lowered himself until she could feel his breath on her skin, as he slowly made his way down her body. He kissed and licked and sucked his way from her neck to her chest, where he stopped and looked up at her. “Do you like this?” he whispered, as he took one of her breasts into his mouth and flicked his tongue over her nipple. She made a sound in her throat that sounded more animal than human, while he continued to suck on one breast, and squeezed his hand over the other. He took it to mean yes, and switched sides, taking her other breast in his mouth, and rolling the first under his wide palm. He’d spent so much time looking at them when he thought he wouldn’t be seen, he felt her breasts were old friends, and wanted to be fair to them both.

After he was done ravishing her chest (and she was nearly _un_ done), he kissed his way down her stomach, stopping to dip his tongue into her navel. He kept going, encouraged by her moaning of his name, down her left thigh. He placed one hand on each of her knees, and stopped to look up, as if asking for permission. She gave it in the form of a whispered expletive, and he spread her legs apart gently, but wide. He then kissed his way up the back of her left leg, starting behind her knee, holding her legs open all the time, rubbing circles into her inner thighs with his thumbs. He kept going until he reached her cunt, where he didn’t stop. He immediately attached himself to her with his mouth, sucking and biting and probing with his tongue, while his fingers tickled the backs of her knees. Such an innocent touch, combined with what he was doing to her between her thighs, created the most irresistible contrast. She cried out his name, and clutched at his hair, moving him slightly, to where he could serve her best. He was eager to please, and noted her every sigh, repeating the actions she responded to the most, to check if they brought her pleasure or if it had been a coincidence.

It wasn’t sophisticated lovemaking –they were both far too wound up for that- but it got the job done very well. The fact that it was Jack in bed with her, making the same sounds he made when he ate Mr. Butler’s gratin, added an element of intimacy that was quite new to Phryne, despite her vast experience in this area; it increased every sensation tenfold. When she begged him to go harder, he stiffened his tongue against her clit, batting it lightly, while twisting two fingers inside of her, watching as she mouthed his name soundlessly. She thrashed about on the bed, but he held her in place by her thighs as she came. Her legs twitched of their own accord, as her arms stiffened beside her. Jack was in awe that anything he could do to her could elicit such a response. He kept going exactly as he was, without stopping or slowing down, until she pulled him up by the hair.

“Please… enough… sensitive…” He lay beside her, holding her gently and stroking her arms and her back, murmuring in her ear, knowing she could feel the vibration of his voice. After a while, she focused her eyes on him. “Jack…” It was all she could manage to say.

Phryne had had other lovers before (better lovers, even), had been pleasured before (for longer, even), had shared her bed (and every other piece of furniture in her house) many, many times before. It was always some version of this, being touched and caressed, and coming down in someone’s arms. Tonight however, something was off. Something was wonderfully, wonderfully, off. She realized that all those times, with all those men (well, all those people) she had never once completely trusted her bedfellow. She had never felt this comfortable, this relaxed. Jack was devoted to taking care of her, in every sense. He would never leave her wanting. He would never leave her at all, if she asked. She had given him the chance to ask for anything, and his response had been all about her. That feeling was new too, and it did things to Phryne that she didn’t care to name at the moment. She wanted to bring Jack the same pleasure he had brought her (more, even), she wanted him to feel loved, and appreciated (adored, even), comfortable, and safe. She wanted to be a safe place for Jack, the way he was a safe place for her. She turned to him and kissed him deeply.

“Jack…” She still couldn’t find words. She didn’t want to cheapen the moment by telling him how good it had been. Somehow she could tell he didn’t want to hear that. So she decided to show him, instead. Slowly stretching in his arms, she pushed him back on the bed, and admired the picture he made. Hair completely tousled and curled, where she had mussed it, beautiful wide mouth swollen from his thorough ministrations, naked chest heaving, very much tented trousers very much in place, along with socks and shoes. Well, that would never do. She decided to start with the obvious, and knelt on the bed, at his feet. She quickly removed his shoes and socks, tossing them over her shoulder. When his feet were free, she stroked her hands inside his pant leg, along his calves, as far as they would go. Jack rumbled in his chest and she removed her hands. She spread his legs much as he had done to her, and slowly stretched between them, running her hands firmly along his muscles, feeling them ripple under the fabric, until she reached the large bulge in the middle. Jack’s eyes were shining, and his lips were parted as he panted for breath. She nimbly undid his belt with her fingers, and popped the button free. And then she remembered a conversation she had not long ago with a redheaded woman, and grinned. This worried Jack, but as his brain was out for the evening, there really wasn’t much he could do about it.

Without breaking eye contact with him, Phryne supported herself by placing her hands on either side of his hips. Using her nose, she separated the fabric that covered the zipper of Jack’s trousers and probed with her tongue until she found the metallic tab. Jack gasped sharply when he realized what was happening. Grabbing firmly with her teeth, she nuzzled and pulled against his cock, until the zipper came all the way down. The feeling of her hot breath through his underwear alone would have been enough to feed a lifetime of memories, but she didn’t stop there. Rubbing him softly though the thin fabric, she gestured for him to lift his hips, so she could slip his trousers and undergarments down to his feet, and toss them over her shoulder, as she had done with his shoes. Looking up at him, she licked her lips hungrily, and stretched out between his legs again, curving her spine like a cat.

“ _FUCK_ Phryne!!” he growled, as she ran the tip of her tongue from his balls to the very tip of his cock. Without using her hands, she took only the head in her mouth, alternating between flicking her tongue against the slit and swirling it all around him. Without warning, never taking her eyes from his, she swallowed him almost whole, while tickling his balls with one hand.

“OhGodohGodohGodohGod” Jack fisted his hands in the sheets, digging his heels into the mattress to very carefully raise his hips into Phryne’s glorious, filthy mouth. He fought the urge to close his eyes, so he could watch her. She bobbed up and down on his cock one, two, three times, until he was wet enough to stroke with her hand. She stroked slowly but firmly, dancing the fingers of her other hand against his inner thigh.

“Do you like this?” She repeated his earlier question, not waiting for an answer before gently nibbling along his shaft, and then soothing the soft bites with her tongue. When she sucked the head into her mouth again, he couldn’t take any more.

“Phryne, stop. Please… I need… I’m going…”

“I know Jack. I want you to. Let go for me, Jack”

“No, you don’t understand… please Phryne... I want… Nnngggg.... Phryne… inside… please” he croaked.

She finally understood what he needed, and released him immediately, much to his relief. She rose above him and kissed him deeply, rolling them both over so he could be on top. She ran her hands up and down his sides, and bent her knees so he lay between them.

Overcome by her beauty, the feel of her skin, the smell and the taste of her, the fact that she wanted him, the fact that this was finally happening, the feeling of her mouth on his cock, Jack forgot himself and thrust into Phryne so hard it knocked the breath out of her in a loud gasp of delighted shock.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry Phryne! Are you alright?” he asked anxiously, as he quickly withdrew from her.

“Again” she rasped, slapping her hands over his ass and squeezing it tight, to keep him in place. Amazed at this magnificent woman, he withdrew slowly from her body, only to ram himself back in, to the hilt. “Oh God, again Jack!” Over and over and over, he plowed unceremoniously into her, grunting in time to her moans, gasping her name as she screamed his. When he couldn’t hold off any longer, when the pleasure was simply too much, he reached between them and pulsed his thumb against her clit in time to his thrusts, sending Phryne over, crying out as she scratched her nails down his back. He came after her, flying into a whiteout, and toppling over on top of her. Afraid of crushing her, he immediately made to move, but she stopped him with strong arms.

“Stay” she whispered “Stay here, Jack. Stay with me” She cradled his head against her chest, and rubbed his back and kissed his hair and breathlessly whispered his name, as they slowly calmed down. When he caught his breath, he rolled to the side, taking her with him, into his arms. He kissed her slowly, lazily, running his fingers through her hair.

He couldn’t remember ever feeling like this; neither could she.


	3. Sung now, but still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is a man with a plan.
> 
> (Nothing but the fluffiest, most contrived fluff that ever was fluffed into fluffiness. Although everyone _is_ still naked... so there's that).

They didn’t speak for a long while, and would have dozed off entwined around each other, were it not for the very loud rumbling of Jack’s stomach. Phryne laughed delightedly; he was slightly mortified.

“I’m sorry, Phryne. Just ignore it”

“Nonsense, Jack! I could never ignore her. You’re starving! Besides, didn’t you say you had arranged for dinner to be brought up here? It’s probably waiting for us”

“Ignore _her_? My stomach is female?”

“Well of course. She knows exactly what she wants, protests loudly until she gets it, and always, _always_ has her way. Only a woman would ever be that clever” She kissed him lightly and jumped from the bed, naked as a jaybird (or a swallow, Jack thought), leaving him laughing and shaking his head. He followed her to the entryway, where sure enough, a rather large table was set up with all kinds of promising looking covered dishes. While they carried things into the bedroom, Jack tried very hard not to think of which young man in gold buttons had delivered the food, or what he might have heard in the process.

They ate their picnic in bed, deciding Mr. Perry must be from Mr. Butler’s same school of divination, for he had sent up enough food for two. They laughed and fed each other with their fingers, licking hands and wrists (and other body parts), until they’d had their fill. While Jack returned everything to the table, Phryne cleaned herself up in the bathroom. After he took his turn, he came back to bed, where she was waiting with the covers thrown back. There was absolutely no question of him leaving, and he was fine with that. She patted the spot next to her, and he climbed in, immediately reaching for her. She curled into him, resting her head on his shoulder, and stroking his chest gently.

It felt so right to lie here, in his arms. So familiar, even though it was the first time. “Jack, I don’t think I can keep going all the way to England”, she whispered.

Jack remained silent for a moment. “Do you mean you don’t think you can do it, or you don’t want to make the trip?”

She looked up at him. “What’s the difference?”

He sighed heavily, and turned sideways, so they were facing each other. He propped his head up on one arm, and lightly skimmed his fingers over her body with the other. He took a moment before he started speaking. “If there’s anybody who can fly from Australia to England in that ridiculously tiny airplane, in an even tinier little airplane, or with no airplane at all, that person is you Phryne” He paused again, as if to convince himself to keep going. He did, but without meeting her gaze. “If you’re doubting your capabilities, then you’ve let your father get to you. He’s wrong, Phryne, you _can_ do this. But there’s no shame in asking for help, or taking safety measures. Maybe you could call” he paused again, closed his eyes and gritted his teeth “your friend Compton. Perhaps he could arrange for a different airplane, or assistance along the way, help you figure out what’s been going wrong so far”.

Phryne felt something warm burst in the middle of her heart. “Jack” She spoke his name softly, carefully and with reverence, the way true believers speak a prayer. “Jack, darling, do you _want_ me to go to England?”

This time he looked directly into her eyes. “Christ no, Phryne! I don’t want you anywhere but here, with me, preferably safe, naked and in my arms, at all times”.

Something happy bubbled up inside Phryne and came out as a giggle. Only it was much more joyful, much more profound than an ordinary giggle. It was a giggle of the soul. She pounced on Jack, flipping him so he landed square on his back, and attacked him with soft kisses all over his face and neck. He held on to her by the hips, smiling and content to just lie there and take it, listening to her indistinct murmurings (“so much love… all for me… beautiful… terrifying… ridiculous”, or something like that. He really couldn’t be sure). When she had calmed (well, when she had calmed somewhat. She was still Phryne, after all), she lay on top of him with her arms crossed over his chest, propping up her head, and just stared into his eyes. She had never been more sure or more frightened of anything in her life.

“I don’t want to go to England, Jack, not if you’re not coming with me” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “But I have to. I can’t let him stay in Australia. He isn’t good for me. And I can’t let Mother suffer more than she already has. I have to keep going, for her and for me.”

Jack nodded his understanding, and rubbed soothing circles into her back. He thought for a long time, and even then he spoke carefully, as if afraid to say the wrong thing. “What if there were another way to get your father to England?”

“I can’t just put him on a ship, Jack. I tried that already. Stayed to watch and make sure he got on and they took his ticket. And he still showed up at my door two weeks later. He’s completely unpredictable and irresponsible. It’s as if he goes out of his way to break every rule there is!” Jack smiled and bit back a comment that would very likely have gotten him smacked.

“What if I could arrange some sort of police surveillance throughout the trip?”

“What are you talking about?”

He looked down at her and ran his fingers through her tousled hair. “I have a friend here at the Darwin Police Department –Andrew. He’s the one who loaned me the car I took to pick you up- and I’ve been visiting him and helping out with some cases this week. We’ve been catching up, swapping stories about our police work. Andrew has worked quite a bit with Scotland Yard –apparently some English criminals choose to run to Australia, thinking it’s far enough away that they won’t be found.”

“And you’re thinking of reporting my father as an escaped British convict, so they’ll ship him back to London? Even I think that’s going a bit far, Jack, though I do appreciate the sentiment”

Jack tutted in a way that was very reminiscent of Aunt Prudence. “Was I finished, Miss Fisher? You really need to learn not to interrupt people when they’re speaking” He spanked her lightly, and she squealed.

“ _JACK_ , you naughty man!!”

“Naughty? I’m not the one getting spanked, now am I?”

She laughed and kissed him. She had first suspected about Jack’s sense of humor when he ‘beep-beeped’ at her with Hugh’s toy cars. But she had never dreamed of anything like this between them. It was marvelous. “Go on then. Finish what you were saying”.

“In one of the Scotland Yard cases, they were chasing down a man accused of killing more than 12 people –horrible story. They were all members of his family. The suspect escaped Australia, but left behind three of the murder weapons, and his passport. It was such vital evidence, for such an enormous case that it couldn’t just be mailed to London, for fear it would get lost. They actually had a constable escort the evidence from Darwin right to Scotland Yard, by ship”.

As Phryne followed his train of thought, she froze where she was, laying on top of Jack, with her fingers tangled in his hair. Her eyes went round. “They don’t have any cases like that now, do they?”

“They don’t, no. But the Baron doesn’t know that, and I’m sure Andrew would be more than willing to help out –you’ll like him, Phryne. Always up for causing trouble. Besides, I’m fairly certain your father doesn’t want to keep flying any more than you do. When we spoke earlier he was very relieved for a long stop at Darwin. Said his bones weren’t up for a challenge like they used to be”.

Phryne smiled. “I’d like to meet your friend, Jack, even if he can’t help”

Jack smiled back, affectionately squeezing her rump. He kept squeezing rhythmically, while he thought out loud. “What if we presented the Baron with a business opportunity? All he has to do is deliver some evidence to Scotland Yard, and the Darwin Police Department will pay for his travel expenses…”

“First class. And a small fee”, added Phryne.

“First class, and a small fee –good idea- as well as obviously being eternally grateful for his great service to justice and our country. Now, of course this would be official police business, so he would have to telegram his commanding officer –who would naturally be Andrew- at every port, to report his progress. And should he not make it to London, for whatever reason, he would become a suspect in the case, for withholding evidence”.

“But what happens when he gets to Scotland Yard, and strolls in demanding to hand in his ‘evidence’?”

Jack frowned thoughtfully. “Well… he’ll already be in London, which is the whole point… though I do understand what you’re saying. Maybe Andrew has a contact there who could help?”

Phryne nodded and her lips quirked into a smile as she enjoyed the familiar feeling of working with her partner, as a team. “I could buy his ticket and then wire the fee money to my lawyer in London, and ask him to transfer it to my father’s account. And I could telegram Mother and let her know he’s coming. We’re already behind schedule, and heaven knows what could happen after we leave Australia. I’d planned to make up for the time we lost, but the reality is we could fall even farther behind”. Her eyes were glittering with hope and mischief. “Oh love, do you think it would work?”

Jack’s breath caught at the endearment, which had seemed to tumble from her mouth without her noticing. His voice went even lower than usual. “I think it’s worth a try”

She took his face in her hands. “You are the best hero I’ve ever had, Jack Robinson”. She kissed him, softly at first, but slowly growing more and more passionate, while letting her hands wander down over his body. When she grabbed him under the sheets and started stroking up and down, he growled and flipped her on her back.

“Miss Fisher! Do you need another spanking?”

Phryne remained safe, and naked, and in his arms, for the rest of the night.


	4. Epilogue

In the end, it was easier than either of them could have hoped.

Jack telephoned his friend and explained the situation; as expected, he was thrilled to help, adding in a few ideas of his own. He had a contact at Scotland Yard, and they’d become quite close over years of working together: the “evidence” that the Baron would carry was simply a well wrapped gift, which would offer no problems upon delivery.

Jack and Phryne agreed to meet for an early lunch with her father that day (Jack went out the back door, circled the building and simply walked back in). If Lord Fisher noticed that his daughter’s –ahem- _friend_ was wearing the same clothes as the night before, or that his buttons were very questionably sewn on, he said nothing. He liked Jack. He could tell this was different from all the other times some man had lost his heart to Phryne: her heart didn’t seem to be in her own chest either. It was hard to miss the way they stared at each other, taking advantage of every possible opportunity to touch or come closer than strictly necessary. It would have been quite disturbing, had Henry Fisher been any other type of father. But the Baron knew he had mostly failed Phryne in this respect, and took no credit for the wonder of a woman that his oldest daughter had become. For this reason –and because he really did love her in his way- he sincerely wished her every happiness, and if that meant he had to look the other way while she squeezed the Inspector’s thigh under the table and gazed lovingly into his eyes, well then so be it.

Lord Fisher felt quite guilty at being the reason the two lovebirds ignoring him through lunch were to be separated. He truly would have given anything not to have Phryne fly him all the way to England. An important factor in his selflessness was that he was terrified of his daughter’s airplane, having long passed the point of his life where he yearned for adventure. He felt there was no way he would make it without having at least one heart attack, and he was looking for any excuse to end their little tour of the air in what he affectionately referred to as “that winged death trap”. So when Jack made to leave at the end of their meal, stating that he had to help his policeman friend find someone to deliver some very important evidence to London, it caught his attention.

After that, it was simply a matter of telling the Baron that there was no way he could possibly qualify for the job, and he was hooked. A short interview with Jack’s friend was the _coup de grâce_ : he rejected the Baron twice, before finally settling on a fee that was half what Phryne had instructed him to offer. (She later asked why he had offered her father less money, only to discover he had been willing to make the trip for nothing at all, and wouldn’t accept a penny above the final price. Jack really was a genius, she thought. And, apparently, so were his friends).

Two days after landing in Darwin, Phryne was seeing her father off at the docks, with Jack at her side (and Jack’s hands… well, anywhere that would pass for somewhat appropriate, really). Lord Fisher asked for a moment alone with his daughter.

“Phryne, my love, I know you don’t believe me, but I really do appreciate what you tried to do for me” She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “And I know I’m in no position to dispense fatherly advice. So I will speak merely as an impartial observer” She raised one eyebrow in warning, and crossed her arms over her chest.  The Baron continued “He’s good for you, Phryne. You’re happy. Keep him around”. And with a wink, Henry Fisher turned to leave, shaking Jack’s hand before walking up the gangplank, tightly holding on to the case containing a lovely silk tie, which he had been told never to let out of his sight.

Jack came to stand behind Phryne, wrapping his arms around her and leaning his head on hers. They stood there for a long time, watching as the last passenger boarded the ship, the gangplank was raised, and the ship set sail. Neither spoke, each lost in their own thoughts. Jack felt as if he’d blindly thrown his hand in the air and miraculously caught a most precious treasure, two seconds before it passed him by forever; Phryne felt as if she’d been saved two inches before tumbling off a cliff. And so they stood, gratefully wrapped up in each other, simply enjoying the fact that they were both there.

When the ship was no more than a dot on the horizon, Phryne turned slowly and wrapped her arms around Jack’s waist, burying her face in his chest. “How soon until you have to be back in Melbourne?”

“Three weeks”

“Three weeks! How delightful! Whatever shall we do with three entire weeks?” She squeezed his backside under his overcoat, and he grinned. She smiled up at him. “We could take the plane and tour the coast. Have you ever flown in an airplane, Inspector?”

“Well yes, that is how I came to Darwin, Miss Fisher”

Phryne frowned. “Oh, that’s right. Well, in that case, have you ever flown in an airplane while the pilot schemed up delicious and debauched things to do to you once you landed?”

He considered the question. “I sincerely hope not, Phryne. I’ve known George since before the war. He’s never given any indication… Although he _was_ awfully happy to help me out. Do you think he’s been pining for me all these years? That poor man! I should buy him dinner”

Phryne leaned back in his arms and laughed until her sides hurt. Jack chuckled along with her, holding her tight. “You will do no such thing, Jack!” she said, when she could catch her breath. “I’ve got you now” she stood on tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “and I’m not sharing”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on the fluff-fest! Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed! <3


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